Joiner link



Jan. 16, 1951 Filed Feb. 21, 1948 C. DONDA JOINER LINK C/czzjezs" jo zaa2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

C. DONDA Jan. 16, 1951 J OINER LINK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21, 1948INVENTbR. [ficzzZea ,Dorzch BY Patented Jan. 16, 1951 .JOINER LINKCharles Donda, Chicago, 111., assignor to S. G.

Taylor Chain Company, Hammond, Ind., a corporation of IllinoisApplication February 21, 1948, Serial No. 10,050

3 Claims. (01. 59-85) This invention has to do with improvements injoiner links, a joiner link being an open chain link provided with meansfor bridging the gap thereof when the chain is in use, but adapted toenable the link to be opened for the purpose of coupling the same to oneor more closed linksjor to the eye of a hook or other load-handlingequipment.

The. principal object is to devise a joiner link which, while meetingall the fundamental reqnisites of an acceptable item of that character,such as complete dependability and susceptibility of being quickly andeasily opened and closed, is, in addition, capable of being produced atminimum cost.

A cardinal feature of my improved joiner link is-that the gap of theopen link is bridged by a pair of complementary tie members, substamtially identical, which are disposed oppositely at either side of thelink and operate conjointly. to embrace the two end portions of thelink. Typically and preferably the two tie members are secured inclamping engagement with the link by means of a socket-head screw whichcan easily 'andquickly be removed and replaced for the purpose ofopening and closing the link; and the tie members preferably arerecessed at each end to form pockets in which the respective endportions of the links are nested.

The link and tie members are so designed that the load is transmittedtherebetween through what may appropriately be termed a shear coilpling;and this is accomplished most conveniently by providing the end portionsof the link with laterally extending integral-lugs which engage recessesor apertures formed in the tie members and closely fitting said lugs.

The outstanding advantage inherent in the above-outlined constructionlies in the fact that both the link and the tie members can be forged soaccurately that subsequent machining and dressing operations are reducedalmost to insignificance. v Another feature of my invention, which isparticularly applicable to large joiner links, resides in the fact thatthe laterally projecting lugs on each end. portion of the link may bestaggered lengthwise of the link, thereby facilitating attachment ofrelatively small closed chain links which might not be attachable to thejoiner link if the lugs on each end portion thereof were disposedco-axially.

Other objects and features of my invention will be brought out as theensuing detailed description progresses.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational View of a chain hitch including four joinerlinks in accordance with the subject invention and illustrating atypical application of the same;

Fig. 2 is an elevational View of a joiner link, illustrating a preferredembodiment of the invention, a portion of one of the tie members beingbroken off in this view for the purpose of more clearly depicting theinternal construction;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view showing the several components of the joinerlink of Fig. 2 in perspective;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating how the staggeredarrangement of the laterally projecting lugs better enables attachmentof small closed chain links to the joiner link;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view illustrating a modification or alternativeembodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken at line 6-45 of Fig. 5. v

The chain hitch illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a relatively largeclosed link or loop l0 adapted to be hung on a derrick or crane hook,not shown, and having attached to it a pair of identical short chainsl'l terminating at their lower ends in hooks I 2 each having an eyeportion l2a.

The chains ll each consist of any convenient number of articulatedclosed links [3 and two joiner links M, one at each end designed tofacilitate attachment of said chains to the loop l0 and the hooks l2.The use of joiner links makes it convenient to substitute chains ll ofvarious lengths from time to time, as the need arises, and to add andsubtract the number of chains attached to loop l0.

Because the need for such alterations may arise rather'frequently, it isimportant that the joiner links be susceptible of being opened andclosed quickly and easily; and it is, of course, even more importantthat the joiner links be safe and dependable.

The improvedjoiner link depicted in Figs. 24 comprises an open link ll,the ends l8 and [9 of which are'separated by a gap 20, and a pair of tiemembers 2| and 22 which are secured to ether by a socket screw 23 inclamping engagement with the two end portions of link l'l. Each endportion of said link is curved inwardly to conform generally with thecurvature of the tie member and thereby provides the required lengths toac commodate two lugs 25 and 26 which are spaced apart and extendlaterally from opposite sides of the link.

Each of the two tie members 2| and 22 is preferably a forging ofgenerally crescent configuration having in each end a recess 28, 29,formed to receive and fit one curved end portion of the link. Recesses28 and 29 of each tie member register with corresponding recesses in theother tie member to form pockets in which the two end portions of thelink are snugly nested; and the walls of said pockets are apertured asat 30 and 3| to receive the lugs 25 and 26.

The two tie members are rounded externally so as to provide suitablycurved surfaces for contacting the chain links or rings bearing thereon,but the contiguous faces 33 of said tie members are fiat and may bearagainst each other or be slightly spaced apart.

The two tie members 2| and 22 are nearly identical and differ only inthat one of them has a tapped hole 34 designed to engage the thread ofscrew 23, while the other is provided with a counterbored hole 35adapted to clear the shank of said screw and to receive and form a seatfor the head thereof.

As previously stated, the principal reason for staggering lugs 25 and 23is to make it possible to attach to the joiner link relatively smallclosed chain links which could not be passed over either end of the linkif the lugs were disposed coaxially. This is adequately illustrated inFig. 4 wherein there is shown a small closed chain li k 36 in theprocess of being threaded on to one leg of the link I'I. It will be selfevidentfrom the illustration that link 36 can easily be manipulated pastthe staggered lugs 25 and 28whereas there would not be sufiicientclearance if the two lugs were placed in axial alignment. Moreover, itwill be apparent that even smaller link 36 than that shown can be passedover the staggered lugs.

For smaller joiner links and even for large ones where the necessity ofattaching small links does not obtain, the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 can be utilized. Here, the open link 40 difiersfrom the previously described open link I! principally in that thelaterally projecting lugs M and 42 at each endare situated in axialalignment. The two tie members 43 and 44 are, in substance, the same asthe previously described tie members 2! and 22,and they are securedtogether by a socket screw 45 corresponding to previously describedsocket screw 23. 1

It will be seen that, in conformity with the previously stated object,the subject invention provides ajoiner link construction which isexceedingly economical to manufacture, by reasonof the slight amount ofmachining required, while entailing no sacrifice from the standpoint ofstrength and dependability-or from the standpoint of the quickness andease with which the link can be opened and closed.

While I have shown, by way of example, only two of the preferredembodiments of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in theart that there are numerous possible modifications and alternativeswithin the purview of my inventive concept and, accordingly, I do notwish to be limited otherwise than as indicated by the terms of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with an open chain link,

of a pair of complementary tie members disposed oppositely at eitherside of said link and each bridging the gap between the ends of thelink, each of said tie members being recessed at each end to formpockets for reception of the end portions of said link, said tie membersconjointly embracing the two end portions of the link and each pocket ofthe tie members beng formed with an orifice opening laterally through aside wall of the pocket, each end portion of said link having at leasttwo laterally projecting portions, each extending through one of saidorifices and in shear relation to the tie member in which such orificeis formed, individually, and means for detachably securing said tiemembers in clamping engagement with said link.

" 2. The combination with an open chain link, the open ends of which arecurved toward each other, of a'pair of complementary tie membersdisposed oppositely at either side of said link and e'ach'bridging thegap between the ends of the link, each of said tie members beingrecessed at each end to form curved pockets for reception of the curvedend portions of said link, said tie members conjointly embracing the twoend portions of the link and each curved pocket being formed with anorifice opening laterally through a side wall of the tie member, eachend portion of said link having a pair of integral laterally extendinglugs, the lugs of each pair being staggered on opposite sides of thelink and positioned to extend through the orifices formed in opposingpockets of said tie members and in shear relation to the tie member inwhich such orifice is formed, and means for detachably securing said tiemembers in clamping engagement with said link.

3. In combination, an open chain link, each end portion of which iscurved toward the other end and has a pair of laterally projecting lugs,the lugs of each pair being located on opposite sides of the link and instaggered relation lengthwise of-the link; a pair of complementary tiemembers disposed oppositely at either side of said link and eachbridging the gap between the ends of the link, each of said tie membersoverlapping the two end portions of the link and each recessed at bothends to formpockets in which the end portions of the linkare nested,each said 'tie member being apertured near each endto en gage, in shearrelation, a lug on each end por-, tion of the link, and screw meanssecuring said tie members in clamping engagement with said link. CHARLESDONDA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 785,881 Hill Mar. 28, 19051,280,906 Vogt Oct. 8, 1918 2,162,123 Richter June 13, 1939

